Structural bracing member



Aug. 20, 1929. M. H..PARISH STRUCTURAL smcme ususzn Filed Dec. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet FIELIII INVENTOR Michael Finish b5 his attorney "A g 1929- M. H. PARISH 1,725,414

STRUCTURAL BRACING MEMBER Filed Dec. 1928 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 11

INVENTOR Michael H. Parish.

b WM 640% his attorney Patented Aug. 20, 1929.

UNITED STATES MICHAEL H. PARISH, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

STRUCTURAL BRACING MEMBER.

Application filed December 5, 1928. Serial No. 823,941.

This invention relates to structural bracing members for floor joists and the like.

One type of fire-proof building flooring v comprises metallic joists, which are crossed braced or bridged at various points throughout their length, and across the tops and bottoms of these joists is aflixed metal lathing to which concrete and plaster are respectively applied to serve as flooring and ceiling within the building. Although the bracing or bridging elements of this invention may find use in other types of flooring, they are particularly adapted to flooring of the construction described above. In reinforced concrete flooring, wherein the concrete is molded or poured in forms around the joists, it is obvious that the solidified concrete serves to retain the said joists in the desired position, but in the first mentioned type of flooring-the bridging members must serve to rigidly and permanently fix the metallic 'oists.

1 There has been a great deal of difiiculty,

heretofore experienced, in affixing metallic bracing members to the joists, and in suitably positioning them rigidly and fixedly in lace. e p The object of this invention is to provide bracing elements for use in bracing metallic floor joists, which may be readily afiixed to the said joists.

A further object of the invention is to provide bracing members for floor joists, which are so formed that when they are positioned and tightened between the joists, the said joists will be in vertical alignment.

A still further object of the invention is to provide bracing members for floor joists, which may be readily formed from structural steel, and which may be readily tightened against each other when two of said bracing members are fixed adjacent to each other between floor joists.

In the accompanying drawings Figure I is a sectional view through two parallel floor joists, showing the bracing members of this invention positioned therebetween; Figure II is a plan view of the same; Figure III is a fragmental side elevation of the floor joist, showing the clips with which a bracing element is aflixed thereto; Figure IV is a sectional view through a different form of floor joist, and showing a portion of a bracing element slightly modified for use on this type of floor joist, and showing a portion of a bracing element before it IS affixed to the joist; Figure V is a similar view through the latter floor joist showing the portion of the bracing element in its fixed position; Figure VI is a side elevation of Fig. V; and Figure'VII is a still further type of structural joist, shown in section, and showing a portion of the bracing member modified for this joist.

The reference numerals 2 and 3 denote adjacent structural metallic joists of open truss type commonly used in the art at the present time. The two bracing or bridging members 4 and 5 of the present invention are shown mounted between these joists. Since the members 4 and 5 are substantiall the same, only one thereof will be described in detail.

The bridging members of the resent invention are preferably formed of structural channel steel. The vertical portion 4" of the member 4 is provided to lie vertically against the beam a distance approximately equal to its depth. One edge of the channel of the said portion 4 is notched at 4* to provide a plurality of teeth. From the central or back metal of the channel of portion 4 are cut or stamped the clips 6 and 7. The clip 6 may be stamped and formed, as shown in Fig. I, while the clip 7 is left in the position indicated by the dotted lines 7 In mounting the member 4, it is swung into its illustrated position, (the clip 7 being in its dotted line position permits this), and then the cli 7 is hammered over the web 3 of the joist 3. Obviously, the clip 6 may be hooked over the web 3, when the member 4 is being swung into position.

The bracing element 4 of the member is twisted at right angles to the portion 4, and the end 4 is twisted at right angles to the element 4; that is, end 4 is twisted through 180 degrees relative to the portion 4*.

The member 5 is attached to the joist 2 in a manner similar to that described above in connection with the member 4 and the joist 3. Figure II shows that these two members are mounted so that the body portions 4 and 5 extend angularly between the joists 2 and 3, and cross with their flat surfaces in contact. It will be noted that edges 4 and 5 of the members 4 and 5 respectively lie against the teeth or notches 5 and 4P of the said members. To tighten the bracing members in position, it is simply necessary to drive the ends 4' and 5 downwardly, and the edges engagethe teeth, as aforesaid, to maintain the bracing members and joists in position. A wire 8 may be passed through suitable central apertures 9, and twisted to prevent the bracing members springing or moving out of theirlocked position.

Figures IV to VI inclusive show the device of the present invention modified to apply to bar type structural joists, which are built up by welding a curved rod 10 between I the two upper stringer rodsll and the lower stringer rods 12. Essentially, the operation of the bracing members is the same. The numeral 13 designates the portion of a bracing element similar to the portion 5 of the member 5, or 4 of the member 4.

The clip 14- is stamped from the portion 18, and curved to engage the adjacent stringer 12, as shown in Fig. V. The upper end of the portion 13 is also notched at 13* simivlarly to the notches 4:, described supra. The

upper end of the portion 13 is split and bent, as shown in Fig. IV, and after the bracing member is positioned, as shown in Fig. V, the split portion 13 is hammered down over the adjacent stringer 11, and the portion 13 engages this stringer below to prevent upward movement of the bracing member. The end 15 of the opposing bracing member, which engages the notches 13, is shown in dotted lines in F igures V and in the vertical portion of the bracing member to adapt it to the I plate type of structural joist 16, which is I shaped in cross section. ,Thecentral web of this type of joist is provided with the holes 17 and 18 through which and bent into their illustrated position. These clip portions are out or stamped from the vertical portion 21 of the bracing member, similar to the manner in which the clips 6 and 7 are stamped from portion 41.

The several illustrations show that the bracing or bridging device of this invention may be modified without departing from the essence of the invention to adapt it for use with various types of metallic joists.

It is important to note that the angle A, of the bracing members, indicated. in Fig. I, is such, that after the members are locked in position, the floor joists will be fixed in proper vertical alignment. That is, the vertical neutral axis of the cross section of the joists will be perpendicular.

It is further important to note that the arrangement of the bracing members enables them to stand large compression strains. In many well known types of bridging members inadequate provision is made for resistance to compression, while in the present device, as shown in Fig. I, the bracing element 4 may take practically any thrust insufficient to shear the metal of edge 4 against the notch in which it seats at 5".

It often happens in the field that the adjacent joists, such as joists 2 and 3, are not positioned or spaced from each other the exact number of inches specified. That is, the joists may be specified twenty inches apart, and may in reality be laid twenty-one inches apart. Obviously, the bracing members of the present invention may readily be used notwithstanding this variance, since the ends 4 and 5? may be forced lower, on the notches 5 and 4 respectively, until the bracing members are suitably tightened.

For this reason alone, the device is valu able to the trade, and it may be understood that the notched arrangement for tightening the bracing members is very important. 7

Although the bracingelements 4c and 5 are shown integral with the verticalportions 4 and 5 respectively, it is to be understood that the vertical portions may be formed separately from the bracing elements, and that suitable means, such as a bolt or rivets may be employed to join the two at their ,lower portions B and C. It is also noteworthy that these vertioal portions serve as a means, which may be simply aflixed to a joist, to retain or fix both the upper and lower ends of the bracing elements.

. What I claim is:

c 1. A member for bracing spaced floor joists comprising a vertical portion arranged to be aflixed to a joist, a bracing element extending from the bottom of said vertical portion, and thetop of said vertical portion being arranged with means to aflix the end of a cooperating bracing element. 7

2. A member for bracing spaced floor joists comprising a vertical portion, means formed from said portion to aflix the same to a floor joist, a bracing element extending from the bottom of said vertical portion, and the top of said vertical portion being arranged with means to affix the end of a cooperating bracing element. 7

3. A member for bracing spaced floor joists comprising a vertical portion, means formed from said portion to afiix the same to a floor joist, a bracing element extending from the bottom of said vertical portion, and the top of said vertical portion being notched to affix the end of a cooperating bracing element. a I j 4:. Means for bracing two floor joists comprising bracing elements, vertical portions extending from the lower ends of said bracing elements, and the upper ends of said vertical portions being provided with means to affix the upper ends of said bracing elements in cooperating and crossed relation.

5. Means for bracing two floor joists comtions being provided with means to aflix the prising bracing elements, vertical portions upper ends of said bracing elements in coextending from the lower ends of said bracoperative and crossed relation. 10 ing elements, said vertical portions being of In witness whereof, I hereunto set my 5 a height substantially equal to the depth of hand.

said joists and arranged to be afiixed thereto, and the upper ends of said vertical por- MICHAEL H. PARISH. 

